Cast announced for East is East

Octagon Theatre Bolton are proud to present a new production of Ayub Khan Din’s award winning play East is East. This iconic comedy about clashing cultures and family drama, has been made into a BAFTA award winning film, become a modern classic and will be brought to life on stage this spring by Octagon’s Associate Director Ben Occhipinti with a cast of talented stage and screen actors.

We are proud to present a new production of Ayub Khan Din’s award winning play East is East. This iconic comedy about clashing cultures and family drama, has been made into a BAFTA award winning film, become a modern classic and will be brought to life on stage this spring by Octagon’s Associate Director Ben Occhipinti with a cast of talented stage and screen actors.

It is an uphill battle for George Khan, proud Pakistani and chip shop owner, to get his seven children to conform to traditional Pakistani values. Meenah prefers playing footie to wearing a sari, Saleem pretends to be studying engineering when he's really at art school, Tariq has got a reputation as a local Casanova, and Sajid hasn't even been circumcised yet!

When the Khan kids begin to oppose their father, their English mother is forced to make a choice between her love for her husband and the right of her children to make their own way in the world.

Returning to the Octagon as the inimitable father of the family, George Khan, is Kulvinder Ghir (Goodness Gracious Me BBC, Still Open All Hours BBC). Alongside him is Jane Hazlegrove (Casualty BBC, The Sewing Group Royal Court) as Ella, George’s Irish Catholic second wife and partner in running their local fish and chip shop.

Making their debut at the Octagon Theatre are Uzair Bhatti playing middle son Maneer, Jatinder Chera (Doctors BBC) playing art student Saleem and Shila Iqbal (Citizen Khan BBC, Emmerdale ITV), playing Meenah. Ralph Birtwell will reprise his role as the doctor from the East is East feature film (Film Four, 1999), as well as taking on the role of Mr. Shah.

Also returning to the Octagon after he played Eddie in The Family Way is Akshay Gulati as Tariq, the frustrated focus of his father’s arranged marriage plans and Mitesh Soni (A Christmas Carol Hull Truck, Romeo & Juliet National Theatre) as Abdul. Completing the cast is Claire Hackett (Coronation Street, ITV, Holby City BBC) playing Auntie Annie.

The role of Sajit Khan will be played on alternate shows by Young Company members Daniel Zahir and Rohan Macleod.

Associate Director and Director of East is EastBen Occhipinti says:

“East is East is a classic drama filled with comedy and great heart. Ayub Khan Din’s brilliant writing captures in intimate detail the very real tensions, and joys, of life growing up in an Anglo-Pakistani family in 1970’s Salford. It cleverly explores important questions of culture and identity but through a large and diverse family of characters we can all relate to.

I’m delighted and very excited to be bringing this story to life for Bolton audiences with a fantastic cast of talented actors, several of whom will be performing at The Octagon for the first time.”